barrett: 159 months old

 

We're in the final stretches of summer, and soon to have an 8th grader on our hands!  While it's easier to get swept up in all the senior stuff his sister has going on, this year is a big one for Barrett too, as it's his last year of junior high.  He's decided on Art 3 (HS credit) and home ec as his electives, and is in all KAP classes.  He's also doing football again, so he's been at football camp all week, rising at 6:15 am every day.  He's playing nose guard this year, same as last year.

Likes: drawing airplanes, football

Dislikes: playing offensive line at football camp, school starting in less than one week

17 years old

                                       

We got to celebrate Britton's 17th birthday before she heads back to school for her senior year!  17 feels like such an in-between birthday - the thrill of driving with your 16th birthday, then the "I'm an adult" ness of your 18th.  But 17 is secretly a fantastic age, because nobody is putting any HUGE landmark milestones on you, and you can just celebrate.  Britton went with her heart for her party theme, and we pulled off a Dunkin Donuts party!  Instead of iced coffees though, she went with a refresher bar, which included green tea, lemonade, syrups, cold foam, and fruit juices and purees. The girls loved getting to make their own concoctions, and I made personalized cups for them - so they knew whose drink was whose!  After drinks, pizza, and cake, they were in the pool for hours, which worked out well since it has been so ridiculously hot all summer.  Britton's favorite gifts included NHL tickets to see the San Jose Sharks, clothing, Dunkin giftcards, perfume, and a Snoopy Owala.

Likes:  iced caramel cappucino, making fun recipes she finds on Instagram

Dislikes: waking up early (ugh)

barrett: 158 months old

 

Barrett wanted his monthly photo with Poppy this time, and she definitely doesn't fit on the chair, so we made do with the couch!  Barrett has had a fun month doing MAC camp (strength and conditioning camp for football), even though it wears him out for the rest of the day.  He got to skip a week when we went on the cruise, and then missed this week because he went to his friend's ranch.  Barrett loves the ranch because they have baby goats, but they did put him to work hauling feed.  Next week he will be in 3D printing camp!

Likes: setting off fireworks at the pool parking lot for the 4th

Dislikes: making his bed

203 months old

 

We are halfway through summer and I don't think we've slowed down, despite this ridiculous heat!  Britton has been busy this summer with a nanny position in our neighborhood for 3 girls 7 years old and younger.  They wear her out, but it's good to having spending money.  Especially because she and the hubs went to Anime Expo in California, where she found many fun keychains and pictures to buy.  Now Britton is gearing up to have her wisdom teeth removed next week - all 4!  She's surprisingly not nervous, but I can't say the same for her mother ;)

Today we went to the first of many senior activities - yearbook photos!  They did the classic black drape and pearl necklace (I told her how I have the same thing on for MY senior photo, eons ago!) and the cap and gown photos.  I wasn't allowed to take any photos except for the "selfie wall" (below).

Likes: being first in line for senior photos - we were in and out in an hour!

Dislikes: narrowing down her birthday wish list

barrett: 157 months old

 

Barrett has started off his summer vacation with a week at Texas A&M Galveston Sea Camp!  For the first time, he went with a friend and they roomed together.  Both enjoyed the Coastal Ecology camp, and got to go on boat rides, dissect a turtle and shark, and visit Moody Gardens.  He came back sunburned and with a ton of sandy laundry.

While Barrett was at camp, we replaced his twin-sized tree house loft bed with a new full-sized bed!  He was ready for a bigger bed, and it worked out to do it while he was gone.  He starts MAC Camp next week, with 2 hours per day of conditioning camp for football.

Likes:  Legos and Microsoft Flight Simulator

Dislikes: oysters

202 months old

 

It's summer vacation!  Britton is doing some nannying for a neighborhood family this summer, and getting ready for our cruise in a few weeks.  And the one thing she's got planned this summer that she does not want to do is have her wisdom teeth removed.  But come July 15th, she is!  All 4!  

I think she's most looking forward to the cruise because she's bringing her friend Jody with her.  Jody moved to Virginia, so Britton doesn't get to see her often, and now they'll get an entire week to hang out and have fun!  Barrett will be stuck with us boring parents, ha!

Likes:  making nails

Dislikes: the humidity

barrett: 13 years old!

 

Barrett is officially a teenager!  We celebrated his birthday on his actual birthday (family gifts, because it was also Britton's softball banquet night), then out to dinner at Gringo's the next night, then a party at Activate with his friends.  Whew, 3 days of celebrating!  We got Barrett many new shirts and also the Lego Pan Am airplane - his number one wish.  Memaw and PawPaw got him some plane models and shirts, and Aunt Jessica got him a gift card so he can treat himself to something fun!

Barrett loves all things airplanes, so much so that he's mentioned that he wants to work for the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) when he grows up, and investigate plane crashes.  Legos/building things comes in a close second, and Lego airplanes are definitely a favorite.  He loves his 1:400 plane models because he wants to construct a miniature airport - I just need to figure out where he can put it!

Likes:  Sea Camp (coming up the first week of summer)

Dislikes:  waiting for school to be over - finals are next week and he's ready to be finished with 7th grade